TVNZ WILL FIGHT BSA DECISION ON ARAMOANA IN HIGH COURT

TVNZ will appeal to the High Court against a decision by the
Broadcasting Standards Authority which the broadcaster describes as
'incomprehensible'.

TVNZ says the issue at stake is the right of adult New
Zealanders to hear - for the first time - the exact exchange that
took place between the Aramoana gunman David Gray and the policeman
who then shot him dead.

This moment of extreme tension, during one of the nation's most
notoriously violent and terrifying events, included the word
'f***ing' - which was recounted by the police officer who spoke
publicly about the highly-charged encounter during the course of an
interview on TV ONE's Sunday programme marking the 20th anniversary
of the massacre.

The Broadcasting Standards Authority today ruled in a majority
decision that the use of the word breached standards of good taste
and decency and did not adequately consider children's
interests.

In a dissenting opinion the chairman of the BSA, Peter Radich,
noted that warnings on content and language had been given twice
and said: "I find it difficult to hold that a programme about the
mass murder of men, women and children is within broadcasting
standards as they apply to children but that the use of the word
"f***ing" in that programme takes the programme to an unacceptable
level." He considered that "to have bleeped or otherwise
obscured the words would have been purposeless, inappropriate and
demeaning of the policeman..".

TVNZ agrees absolutely with Mr Radich's opinion, and is
disturbed to note that his commonsense approach did not prevail
amongst his colleagues.

TVNZ rarely appeals to the High Court on BSA decisions but the
broadcaster says in this case it feels it has no option because to
let the ruling stand would be to damage the right to freedom of
expression in reporting on matters of such high public interest and
historical significance to this country.